Oldtown News

My look at the issues of our Oldtown neighborhood and other political news

Thursday, June 28, 2007

FARM of HORRORS - CITY of HORRORS

Oldtown NewsVancouver, BCFARM of HORRORS - CITY of HORRORS

Another key witness for the crown in the Pickton trial has come under fire regarding her credibility and character. Lynn Ellingsen alleges she had witnessed Mr. Pickton skinning a female body on the farm.

It has been revealed that Ms Ellingsen has on numerous occasions been hospitalized over her ongoing crack cocaine use. It has been alleged that she suffers from hallucinations and crack-induced psychosis. Also coming from her testimony we learn she had a man convicted for allegedly assaulting her but later recanted this story, after the former friend had already spent two months in jail.

Evidence also has been presented by the defence that Ms Ellingsen was arrested for conspiracy to commit 11 murders but never charged. Most likely, she wasn't charged in order to provide crown testimony. This follows a pattern of other crown witnesses being arrested but not charged in any of the crimes allegedly committed at the Pickton farm.

Sadly, in this case, so far, all witnesses for the crown have had their credibility shattered. This is a result of their rampant drug use and alleged criminal histories. Their criminal ways have been exposed, including assaults, welfare and credit card fraud, drug trafficking, violence with a weapon (gun) and it goes on and on.

For certain, drug addicts are very sick people and I agree we should be treating them medically for their conditions. Having said this, we simply cannot overlook or dismiss their criminal ways. I hate to say it because, I do not want to be seen as attacking drug addicts, however, their lives are full of lies, deception and criminality.

The Pickton trial simply re-affirms to the public that drug addicts and drug addiction are harmful to society. So many lives have been ruined and destroyed as a result of drug mis-use and in the aftermath of the Pickton carnage, we are witnessing the complicity of many individuals in what have been serial killings (murders). Instead of coming forward with the truth of what was allegedly going on at the farm, they instead chose to keep their mouths shut as they used what they knew to their economic advantage. They either requested large sums of money or drugs to buy their silence.

This deadly silence at the farm of horrors has contributed significantly to the erosion of what we consider to be acceptable standards of the respecting of human life. This abhorrent behavior in a certain segment in society demonstrates that drug addiction has no place in a civilized society. Drugs turn people into crazed out, thoughtless and nasty people who will say or do anything to get that next fix.

Sadly and tragically, we are bearing witness to the degradation of humanity as the Pickton trial unfolds.

My faith in goodness has been shattered as I'm certain it has for many people who are seeing first hand, what drug addicts are capable of doing.

We are faced with a dilemma and looming before us is whether we can truly incorporate harmful drug addiction into what we desire our civil society to be.

To ignore drug addiction or to study it creates a City of Horrors. The Pickton carnage is just one example.